Sharma Designs

I've Moved!

2006-08-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

..blog addresses that is.

My new blog is at www.sharmadesigns.typepad.com

Please update your links and subscriptions!

A-ha the Assymetrical Necklace is Getting Lots of Press!

2006-08-30T13:15:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of mixed reactions with my assymetrical necklaces. Most of the necklaces I have made for myself lately have been assymetrical and when people stop to admire I either get an "Ooooohhh!" or a "Well, that's interesting (as they squint their eyes and kinda tilt their head)".

As I have said before, my sister groans and rolls her eyes when she sees the assymetrical ones (She needs things to be neat and tidy) and even my husband has given me an "Another assymetrical one?".

That's okay though because there is apparently people like me who appreciate things that are a little different. I just found out that I was a Daily Pick at AZ Central. What did they feature?

An assymetrical necklace.

Posted in Celebrate_

My Latest Custom Bridal Jewelry Project

2006-08-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I am working on some wedding jewelry for a friend of mine. Actually she is my favorite hair stylist. Definitely someone you want to please. I want my hair looking fabulous right?

When I start a custom bridal jewelry project I like to meet with the person if all possible. I really like to get a feel of what they are envisioning so that I can create the perfect jewelry for them. The fewer times I have to revise something - the better for both of us.

This wedding is going to have a vintage feel to it. I got involved when my friend was..suprise suprise..doing my hair and was complaining that she couldn't find exactly what she was looking for. It always feels like you see something in every store..until you actually need it right?

At first it was just going to be the bridesmaids I was making jewelry for. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted earrings or a necklace for the dress.

After talking it over, we decided to just do earrings. She wanted to use dark metal and I felt that with the silver of the flower brooch, a dark necklace wouldn't look right (although the company that makes the dress obviously disagrees). We chose to do earrings. She basically told me that she trusted me and to do whatever I thought would look good. This is what I came up with.

The girls are wearing their hair up and I think the earrings will look great. They have a vintage feel to them without being totally unwearable for everyday.

She also asked me to make her earrings. She told me to think "Beyonce" That cracked me up. One thing I love about doing custom projects is that I get to make different styles of jewelry. I have my own style for the jewelry for my site. Obviously I can make other styles but I don't want my jewelry to be all over the place design-wise. So when I get a project like this where I get an opportunity to make "Diva" jewelry I love it.

Her dress is strapless and has a lot of sparkly beading all over it. It's gorgeous. In this situation there really is no choice besides the obvious...swarovski crystals. The pictures really don't do them justice as they sparkle like CRAZY. They look like mini chandeliers. I almost want a pair for myself. I have no idea where I would wear them (besides around the house..admiring them in every mirror)

See that the bridesmaid's jewelry complements the bride's jewelry without competing with it. Really? How do you compete with those?

The bride hasn't seen them yet. I hope she is as pleased with them as I am. I really think they will look gorgeous with her dress.

Posted in Custom Projects_

New Pendants to Play With

2006-08-28T00:12:00.000-07:00

Last week I had to slow the production at Sharma Designs a bit in order to spend some time with my family. Not to worry, although I was not making a lot of jewelry I was ordering some much needed jewelry supplies. Above are a few new pendants.

The black teardrops are onyx. I always like to have some basic black pendants on hand. Everyone needs a good black necklace right? There is also a Flower Sugilite Pendant (purple), a Pink Sunstone Pendant, and a Bronzite pendant. The Sunstone has a touch of shimmery sparkliness to it. It's so pretty in the light. The Bronzite has amazing shiny little flecks in it.

I can't wait to get creating again. I need too! Again...my website is bare! I am also working on some wedding earrings which I am really excited about so I will get pictures of those up too.

Have a great Monday!

Posted in Website News_

A Custom Necklace with a Charming Story

2006-08-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a customer contacted me about creating a necklace for a pendant she had. The pendant was a present to her Grandmother from her Grandfather. He bought it for her in Japan when he was in WWII. When her grandmother passed away my customer inherited it.

My customer loved the pendant but it had been sitting in her jewelry box because she didn't have a necklace for it. She felt a simple gold chain just didn't do it justice.

Of course I was up for the challenge. I went with black and green beads to keep the Asian flair. I purposely chose beads that were a green that was a shade darker because I really wanted the pendant to be the focal point of the necklace.

I made it. She loved it. And now she will think of her Grandparents whenever she wears her necklace. I love a happy ending.

If you have a pendant that needs a necklace please contact me so we can chat.

Posted in Business Babble_

Brown 712 Feature

2006-08-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Our Scene Jasper Necklace was featured at "Brown 712: A daily publication about the art of handbags, shoes & accessories". You can read the article here.

Yay! Thanks Marsha!

Posted in Celebrate_

Party, Shopping and the Carries

2006-08-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! I left Friday morning and made my way down I-5. Some people hate the 6 hour drive from Northern Cali to SoCal but I honestly have driven it so many times that I don't mind it a bit. I pop in an audio cd and armed with a Starbucks I take off driving.

Friday night I had a great jewelry party. I got to see lots of familiar faces and sold lots of jewelry! The one thing I am bummed about is that I was so busy selling and catching up that I didn't take any pictures. I even set my camera out to make sure that I would!

Saturday I picked up my B.F Carrie and we spent the day shopping in Westwood and wherever else there were stores! Carrie is my favorite person to shop with. We could spend hours in the stores and not be a bit tired. It was also nice to shop without feeling like I had to entertain the little one.

Saturday night we met up with my sister and her boyfriend for more shopping! We went to the Irvine Spectrum. That place is crowded but a ton of fun. There is live music and tons of shops and places to eat. We really closed down the shops too. My sister's boyfriend was quite the trooper. My husband would have been outta there.

Sunday I slept in (You moms know what a rare treat that is!) My husband called at 8:30 and said "Where are you?" (Meaning on the road). I said "Sleeping!" He was not happy. After Carrie (Who will now be known as Shopping Carrie - it's going to get confusing here) and I got our coffee fix we drove up north to the Palos Verdes Farmer's Market to see my other friend Carrie.....Carrie Sommer (We'll call her Handbag Carrie). I honestly just couldn't pass up the chance to see Handbag Carrie even if it was for a few minutes. And of course to see all her beautiful purses and aprons in person! There are even cuter in person. As we were leaving Shopping Carrie said "Wow! Her display is so cute! It feels like you are in a little boutique!" I couldn't agree more.

As you can see from the picture above I did score a few of her fabulous handbags. I think that brings my total to 4. How will I ever decide which one to use? I swear that Handbag Carrie moniters my thoughts as I peruse fabric websites (No I can't sew. I just like to look) because she always picks my very favorite fabrics! Every Sommer Designs handbag I have is soooo me.

So a fun weekend of shopping and friends. Could a girl ask for more? I did miss my bubbi and my husband terribly. My daughter gave me the silent treatment when I got home and almost made me cry. But we are good now. Little twerp! I guess she showed me!

Right now I am going to upload the new jewelry and I might just do a few markdowns too so be sure to check the site a little later and see what's new and newly reduced!

Posted in Business Babble_

Studio Friday: Dessert Island

2006-08-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

Here's today's topic:

So imagine that you are still on the island and are getting hungry. The beautiful thing is that it is a paradise island and you can make your wish for your favorite desserts!!! Yummy!! Which ones will you wish for?

Honestly? They could bring me anything sweet (except fruit. I hate fruit) and I would be happy. I love desserts. If I had my very very favorite it would be Haagen Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream.

I worked at an ice cream shop as a teenager and we could eat whatever we wanted while we were on the clock. Being the ice cream-aholic that I am....I lived on ice cream for months. I tried every flavor with every combination of topping (bubble gum ice cream with marshmallow topping anyone?) Believe it or not, when you eat that much ice cream you really do get sick of it. I know..I know..seems impossible but it's true. I didn't eat any ice cream for about 2 years after that.

Obviously I got over it.

Now..do we gain weight on this crafty island with delicious treats?

"So You Think You Can Dance" Recap

2006-08-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Okay mock me all you want for feeling the need to do a recap of my favorite show but don't mock me unless you have actually watched the show a few times. Because I assure you it will suck you in and make you a believer.

First of all....Yay Benji!! I was very happy that Benji won. He seems like such a cool guy and he was so entertaining to watch. Ivan was really my favorite but I knew he wasn't as skilled as the top four. So as soon as he got booted I changed my alliance to Benji. But then last night as the two boys were standing there I felt so sad for Travis. I wish they both could have won. If Travis would have just had a little more personality throughout the show(like he started to at the end) I think he may have won.

What I hated about the finale show:

1. The way the girls got offed. How cruel was that? "Oh America voted and you aren't the favorite!" (aka "You're a big loser!"). They should have just waited until the end and then called the winner. Mean mean mean.

2. The judges obviously knew that Benji was going to win. Last week they only said good things about Travis. They told Benji he wasn't up to par technically. This week they were falling all over themselves to say nice things about Benji too.

3. That now the show is over. Boo!

What I loved:

1. All the dances. It was nice to hear what the dancers favorite dances were and why.

2. Seeing Ivan dance again. Since he is my favorite.

3. The Tranji dance again!

4. All the dancers recap videos. Although, of course, they made me cry. What is it about this show making me cry? I don't understand why I am so attached to it! Those producers do an amazing job of sucking you in!

I would love to hear what you guys thought. If you watched. I know you watched Jenn!

A Nice Break

2006-08-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have been working non stop the last few days. My poor husband has barely seen me. Mondays and Wednesdays are supposed to be me and Bella's fun day together and we have mostly been running errands as of late.

Well this morning I felt super tired and achy (leaning over beads) so I decided that Bella and I needed to make some time for fun. There is a cute little pond near our house with lots of ducks. Bella LOVES quack quacks. At first I hated that the pond was fenced in but it's actually nice because the ducks all huddle on the bank inside the gate and Bella can get close and see them and they don't freak out and I don't freak out (unless they are the freakishy large white geese. Those things are mean!).

I also love the pond because there are always turtles swimming around and sunning on the banks. I love turtles.

As we walked around and laughed and talked I felt revived. Why do I not always make enough time for this kind of stuff? It is definitely neccessary!

Posted in Getting Personal_

Meet my New Friend

2006-08-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'll let you in on a little secret. I've always wanted a mannequin. I don't really know why. I suppose I had fantasies of hanging my perfect outfit on it every night in preparation for the next morning. Well now I finally have one. I doubt that I will be hanging any outfits on it but maybe someday.

I never bought one for Sharma Designs because I honestly just couldn't justify it. A bust sure...but a whole body? When my sister in law found us a great 2 for 1 deal I just couldn't resist. I justified my buy by telling myself I was helping her get a good deal too. I was secretly giddy with excitement!

She does need a little bit of a makeover. (I think she looks less creepy without her "bolt" head showing so I cropped it out. Did you ever see Return to Oz? It reminds me of the creepy Mombi lady that switched her heads). A few different shirts in smaller sizes and different necklines and a nice pretty background and she will be ready to be my new model for my "see worn" pictures!

Bella is a little freaked out by her but she will get used to her and I'm sure she will be dressing her in no time! My husband loves her because I had to do a major cleaning/reorganizing to give her a proper home in the bead room. He can now walk to his computer without being afraid.

And finally, here are some more new jewelry pieces:

3 more days until my getaway...er business trip!!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Very Productive Weekend!

2006-08-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

I had such a productive weekend! I have been stressing about not having enough jewelry for my jewelry party in Costa Mesa this weekend. Well, I worked till the wee hours on Friday night and worked a good part of Saturday while Bella was at Grandma's.

I am very happy with the results of my weekend. I was able to make a bunch of new necklaces. The bad news is that I won't be posting them on the site until after my show. I decided to preview the new items at the show this time. In the meantime, I will just tease everyone with a few previews of the new designs.

I tried to make a good amount of Dainty Divas. Seems like lately they disappear the minute I put them up! Of course, I am drawn to the bigger pendants so there is a lot of those too. Old habits die hard.

I noticed that I made a lot of purple necklaces too. That's funny because I don't usually work with a lot of purple but I seem to be drawn to it right now. Maybe purple is my new green.

I am really looking forward to this weekend. I will be staying with my sister (she's hosting the show). We always have a good time together. One of my best friends lives in L.A and she is coming to hang out with me on Saturday. It's been way too long! I will also see alot of faces I haven't seen in awhile at the party.

I lived in Costa Mesa for the summer a few years ago. It's actually where Sharma Designs was born. It was hard to get a job since I was only going to be living there for 3 months. I was making jewelry for myself and people kept asking if they could buy them from me. So I would just sell them right off my neck (Hey I wanted to eat!) I held a few parties during that summer and when I returned home I set up my website. As they say...the rest is history!

Some of the ladies that will be at the show are some of my very first customers. I always love to see them and it's fun to see how their tastes change over the years. I haven't been down there much since Bella was born (6 hr drive).

More teaser previews coming soon!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

New Tags!

2006-08-09T00:27:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! I just got my new jewelry tags! I had been out of the old ones for awhile and decided it was time for a change. I was pretty green when I ordered the first ones. I just wanted my name on the jewelry so the tag simply said "Sharma". While you can find me if you search for "Sharma Jewelry" I want to make it as easy as possible for people. I guarantee you'll find my site if you enter Sharma Designs.

It may not be the best picture of the tag but you get the idea. It's 12:30am and for all my high hopes of accomplishing a ton of stuff tonight I got very little done. First our tv broke. While my husband tried in vain to fix it I stressed out about how I was going to watch my shows. I have a tv we can use so that's no problem but how the heck do you get rid of a huge bachelor size tv?

After the tv fiasco Bella woke up and insisted that there would be "No Nigh Night!" When that drama was over I settled down to do my work. Everything I touched broke. I was so frustrated.

Alas, tomorrow is another day. I'm sure I will get lots of jewelry made tomorrow. At least I did get a custom piece done. It's something.

Posted in Business Babble_

Omiru Feature

2006-08-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

We have a feature today on Omiru. From their website:

"Pronounced "oh-MEE-roo," our name is derived from the Japanese word meaning "to see" and that is just what we hope Omiru.com does for you. We want to serve as your guide through the world of fashion and style so that you can see everything there is out there and make it your own.

Omiru is a style and shopping website dedicated to the concept of real style for real people. Through Style Intelligence Report, a style weblog, Omiru covers fashion trends, runway reports, street style reports, and an assortment of articles aimed at making style accessible to all."

They featured the Hollow Mother of Pearl necklace...one of my personal favorites!

Posted in Celebrate_

It's Finally Over

2006-08-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you saw my kitty post a few weeks ago but I am very happy to say that they are no longer living in my backyard. The whole thing has been very traumatic for me. I am a huge animal lover and while cats may not be my favorite (I'm a dog lover) I still like cats and can't resist the little kitties (Or mows as Bella calls them)

I contacted a bunch of animal rescue places with no success and finally our friend volunteered to trap them for us and take them to a safe home where they would not be killed. I believed him since he has lots of animals including a rescued feral kitten.

A few days before he came I noticed that my favorite frisky kitty (above) was not very frisky. He was lethargic and getting really skinny. Of course I freaked out...convinced that I somehow had something to do with it. I was a nervous wreck. Checking on him every hour. I did not want him to die. Especially in my backyard. I watched to make sure that the mom was still feeding him. She was but he just wasn't getting bigger like his brother was.

When our friend set the traps he caught the white kitty first. I was drifting off to sleep when I heard meowing and a door slide shut. I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. The white kitty was in the cage and the brother was meowing at him outside the cage. Of course I burst into tears (This is a strange phenomenon for me. Before I had Bella my friends and family called me Hard as Nails. I was the one dry eye at the saddest of movies. I was the bridesmaid who never stashed kleenex because I knew I didn't need them. After Bella was born all hell broke loose. When she was born I bawled my eyes out and have been crying ever since. Like when Ivan was cut from "So You Think You Can Dance" last week. I sat there bawling hoping my husband wouldn't come downstairs and make fun of me. Anyways..) I felt so bad for the little guy trapped in the cage. I almost let him out. I talked myself out of it knowing that he needed a doctor to look at him and knowing that he would be better off somewhere else.

When my friend came to pick him up early the next morning the poor little guy was almost dead.(He had food and water in the cage) I cried again because I felt like a kitty killer. Turns out the poor guy had an abscess in his mouth that was preventing him from eating. My friend tried to keep him alive but the poor kitty died at the vet. I'm very sad but relieved to know that it was not something that I did. And relieved that Bella and I didn't find him dead in our yard.

The mom cat and the other kitty are happy at a new home. I am glad they got the mom because I saw the little hussy hanging around the daddy cat and I was dreading more kitty drama. My poor little heart just cannot take it!

Now that I am not stalking the kitties every few minutes (and googling what to do about feral cats) I can be much more productive.

I have a home show coming up next week with a huge guest list. I know a lot of these women and I know I will sell a ton of jewelry. I have to get my stock up!

I'm happy that my little kitty friend is not suffering anymore. It broke my heart. I have already begun the campaign for a little dog for Bella. We'll see what happens.

Studio Friday - Creativity Roots

2006-08-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

This week's topic is creativity roots. My sister (above, left) and I both received our crafty goodness from my mom (above, right). I can't say for a fact, but I'm pretty sure that she didn't inherit her creativity from my grandma (although my dad's mom is also creative). Funny thing is that all 3 of her sisters (my aunts) are super creative and crafty too. My mom loves to make handmade cards, knit, crochet, and she always has a crafty project in the works. When we were young she always had a cross stitch she was working on or a costume to sew. Now that she is too busy to make time for all her crafty hobbies she makes sure to bring creativity to her job. When normal people would just finish the task...my mom finishes it with a flair. I always tease her that she puts to much time into the small things but that's what she loves to do. I know the people in her office appreciate her craftiness!

She has always encouraged us to be creative too. She taught us to knit, cross stitch and crochet at a young age. I find it too boring. My sister loves it (the knitting that is). Either way I love that she taught us because they are good skills to have.

We all express our creativity so differently. My mom loves bold bright colors (she was an elementary teacher for years). She tends to lean towards whimsy designs. She also loves things that sparkle. She's not a perfectionist. She likes to go with the flow.

My sister is a neat freak. She makes cards, knits and has dabbled in making purses lately. Everything she designs is very clean and symmetrical. She also likes sparkle but in moderation of course. She usually uses muted colors. Lots of pastels. Especially pinks. All of her designs must be perfect before she is satisfied (The perfectionist is from my dad).

And then there is me. I have dabbled in lots of crafts but my love of jewelry always wins out. Nothing compares in my eyes. I like things to be different. Assymetrical (drives my sister crazy!). I love bold colors but tend to use lots of earthy colors. I love things that have a retro flair to them. I am a perfectionist with my jewelry but not with any other craft. My motto is "Good Enough!"(Oh my scarf is only 10 inches long? Good enough. No one will notice)

I am very excited to see what my daughter's creativity will look like. My husband's mom is also crafty so there is a very good chance that Bella will love to make things too. She is already exhibiting a few anal tendencies (always shutting doors. cleaning. keeping things symmetrical) so she'll probably be more like my sister. We'll make quite the craft team I'm sure!

Thanks mom for encouraging us to use our creativity!

See more Studio Friday entries here!

Date Night!

2006-08-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited. Saturday night Berto and I get to go out by ourselves on a date! As those of you with small children know....it doesn't happen often. Bella's grandparents live close by and are always willing to babysit but we've all been so busy that it's been ages since we went out by ourselves. (Ha ha ages...we've only been married 5 months...well it feels like ages since we went out!)

I have been so busy at night with all my business endeavors that it's been awhile since we spent some quality time together. Usually I am on the laptop half watching my shows (like "So you Think you Can Dance" - I am addicted) and he is either upstairs on his computer or tinkering with his latest hobby. So we both need this!

Now my question is this...what movie should we see? He wants to see Miami Vice. I am open to that. I would rather see Little Miss Sunshine but he does not appreciate indie films like I do. I have heard that Pirates isn't worth seeing. Lady in the Water looks intriguing but I was so dissapointed with his last movie that I may wait for video on that one. Heck I wouldn't mind watching Barnyard. Looks hilarious to me! Hmm maybe Bella would enjoy it too. Hard to tell if she is old enough for movies yet. The Night Listener looks good too. I love Robin Williams. I am always up for a good psychological thriller (but is it good?).

There's also You, Me and Dupree, Ricky Bobby (Berto would love this), Clerks II, The Devil Wears Prada.... How will I decide?? If you guys have any recommendations I would love to hear them. Since I rarely get to see a movie in the theater I want to make sure I chose wisely!

Posted in Getting Personal_

New Jewelry!

2006-08-01T12:18:00.000-07:00

I finally got in my Bead Room since it has cooled down quite a bit. I wanted to make a million necklaces for this update...but of course in the middle of things I realized that I had ran out of one of my essential supplies. I still managed to get quite a few new things made. See all the new items here

Sneak Peak:

(I think I finally found a background for the light jewelry that I am happy with!)

Lots more pretty jewelry to be had (and it has been going very fast lately) so get over there and check it out!!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape - Part 5 Heart Shaped Face

2006-07-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Face Shape: Heart

Styles that flatter the face: Earrings that fan out at the bottom or teardrop shaped earrings are your best choice.

Not the best choice: Earrings that have the smallest point at the bottom

Hmm Apparently I need to make more earrings with heart shaped faces in mind!

Other Face Shapes:
Rectangular
Round
Square
Oval

Not Sure What Your Face Shape is?

2006-07-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

I had a request for help with determining face shapes. I think a good visual guide helps. This guide has face drawings as well as celeb examples.

Check out the guide here: Face Shape Guide

Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape - Part 4 Oval Face

2006-07-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

Face Shape: Oval

Styles that flatter the face: Most styles flatter the oval face. You can wear hoops, ovals, or chunky earrings with confidence! Triangular earrings look especially flattering.

Not the best choice: Really long earrings might make your face appear to be too long

Examples of good choices for an oval face:

Mother of Pearl Triangle Handmade Earrings

Hollow Brown Shell Handmade Earrings

Other Face Shapes:

Rectangular

Round

Square

Fun Feature

2006-07-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

I totally overslept this morning. Was running around my house like a madwoman cursing the alarm clock when I decided to check my email really fast (Told you I was an addict).

I got an email notifying me that I was featured in the Indie Quarter today. Hoorah! That made my morning better! Read the article here. It's a great write up.

Thanks Indie Quarter!

Posted in Celebrate_

Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape - Part 3 Square Face

2006-07-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Face Shape: Square

Styles that flatter the face: Drop earrings are a good choice becase they add length to your face. Earrings that are curved and angular in shape will also flatter.

Not the best choice: Square earrings

Examples of good choices for a square face:

Mother of Pearl and Onyx Handmade Earrings
Freshwater Pearl and Chain Handmade Earrings

Other Face Shapes:
Rectangular
Round

Jewelry Update

2006-07-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know that things have finally cooled off and I have started making jewelry again! Yay!

My Dream Come True

2006-07-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

I don't really enjoy cooking. I want to love it I really do but to me it is something that just sucks up my precious time. If it was still just me I would honestly just live on steamed veggies and rice (with ice cream thrown in for variety) but because I have a child and a hungry husband I cook most nights of the week. I also cook because I love delicious foods.

Tonight I got invited to a trial Dream Dinners night. I thought, "Hey a free meal? Sure!" I have heard of Dream Dinners but I wasn't really sure what it was. I knew you made dinners to eat later but I was picturing having to cook everything at the store. Not my idea of fun.

I don't want to sound like a commercial for them but I was really impressed. It really is as easy as they promise! Here's how it works... You chose the number of meals you want from the menu and then make an appt one night to go in and make all the meals. I think the norm is 12 meals.

There are stations set up with everything you need and a recipe to follow. For example, we made Cider Barbecue Chicken.... There was a freezer bag of 6 frozen chicken breasts. First we made a marinade for the chicken. If the recipe called for a tbs of onion flakes then the scoop in the onion flakes was the size of a tablespoon. No need to think. Love it. I made my meal in less than 5 minutes.

Then you package your meal in freezer bags and put a heating instruction label (that hubby can follow too) on it. It also has side suggestions on the label. They let us try the cooked version of what we made and another dish and they were really good!

I grabbed a menu for August (Here is the July one) and came home to sell the husband on the idea. Because I work 3 days a week and don't get home till around 6:00 I almost always have to make really basic dinners on those nights. If I am super tired we might even have mac and cheese. You know how those days are! If I made 12 dinners at Dream Dinners then on those three days a week either my husband could follow the directions and have it waiting for me when I get home or I could cook it really fast when I got home. Heaven!

The servings are for 6 people. The chicken we made tonight had 6 chicken breasts in it. So my thought is that I will split it with my mom who also works too much to cook (Just have to talk her into it). That would bring our cost down to $125 a month for 12 dinners. Most meals are between $16-24 (so split = $8-12). I think that is very reasonable.

I don't think it's for everyone. If you really enjoy cooking you will feel robbed. If you are a veggie there won't be anything for you to eat. But..if you love to eat good food but don't want to spend time making it or are just too busy then you should try it. You can host a preview night if you have one in your area and you and all your friends can make a meal for free. I'm already thinking about who I will invite!

So there you go. My review of the Dream Dinner experience. Definitely worth trying! And no I am not associated with them. ha ha I just love passing along good finds!

Posted in Getting Personal_

Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape - Part 2 Rectangular Face

2006-07-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! Here is another "Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape". I have to say..I have been testing out these guides on my face (oval - it will be up soon) and it really is true. Test it out and let me know what you think.

Face Shape: Rectangle and Long

Styles that flatter the face: Earrings with curve and width at the bottom that will make the middle of your face appear wider. Circular, triangular and square shaped earrings will also flatter your face. Thick chunky earrings will flatter your face shape too.

Not the best choice: Hoops or long dangling earrings.

Examples of good choices for a rectangular face:

Filigree Grey Shell Handmade Earrings

Pearl and Wood Handmade Earrings

If you missed the guide for a earrings that flatter the round face see it here

Posted in Jewelry Tips_

Too Hot!

2006-07-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Is it brain frying hot where everyone else is too? The news last night said it was 102 degrees here in San Jose yesterday but it felt hotter. Our house stays pretty cool until 1:00pm or so but after that we are searching for something cooler.

We did find out that my father in law has a pool at his apartment complex so we took Bella swimming for awhile in the heat of the afternoon. She loved it and it cooled us all down a bit. After swimming we went off in search of an air conditioning unit for the house. My husband had seen some at Frys Electronics the day before.

Well we got to Frys and everyone leaving the store had an a/c unit in their cart. When we started walking towards the area where he saw them the day before we were shocked to see a huge line. I kid you not...there was a line of 50 or so people waiting for the opportunity to even look at the a/c units. We decided to try somewhere else.

Next we went to Sears. All sold out. Every unit (and those puppies aren't cheap). They aren't getting anymore until August 3rd. We decided to give up on the dream of a nice chilled house and settle for one where we can at least survive. We went searching for another fan. Sold out.

We traveled back to Fry's and looked there. Sold out of every single fan. Is that insane? Today we are hitting every store until we find something. We are all zombies this morning because we got no sleep last night and at 8:00 it is already scorching outside. **Edited to add: Fans are sold out everywhere. Not a one to be found anywhere. No fans, no pools, no air conditioners.

There won't be a lot of jewelry made this weekend. As I have said before it is 10 degrees or so hotter upstairs where my bead room is. (Maybe I should rally to move it downstairs to the workout room?) I cannot even bear to go up there! I made myself feel productive last night by dashing upstairs for 2 seconds to grab the Totally Indie coupons and cutting them out while I sat in front of the fan downstairs.

At least I got caught up on some reading while I tried to fall alseep. I am reading Jpod by Douglas Coupland and I love it. I keep laughing aloud while I read it. I have always been a fan of Douglas Coupland although he did have a some snoozers a few books back. I'm glad he's back to his old style again.

I hope that wherever you are you have wonderful central air and a sparkling refreshing pool in the backyard. Oh and can I come over if you do?

Studio Friday: Studio Sidekicks

2006-07-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been so long since I participated. I've been too scattered to remember to take a studio picture. Hopefully I will be able to stay on track now!

So here is my studio sidekick. My little Bella. (I know the topic is kinda animal themed but Bella is allergic to cats and I am too paranoid to have a dog until she is a little older. So for now I have a 2 legged sidekick) I try to work in the studio when she has gone to bed but sometimes I HAVE to get something done when she is awake and well..we manage.

She loves beads and loves to try on necklaces and say "Pretty!" I think I definitely have a jewelry addict on my hand...and hopefully someday a helper. I'm sure she will be the only Kindergartener with necklaces to match every outfit!

Right now? Not so much help. I try to entertain her with things she can't break or hurt herself with but of course she would rather try to grab my pliars or unravel the rafia. She also loves to crumble and disperse the packing peanuts.

She's a lot of fun though and I love having her company in my studio and hope someday we can enjoy making jewelry together.

Happy Studio Friday!

Kitty Stalker

2006-07-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

So what do I do when not making jewelry? Well recently I have been stalking the kitties that have taken permanent residence in our backyard.

I discovered the kitties a few weeks ago when from my kitchen I heard a strange chirping sound. It soon clicked that it was a kitty cry and I ran outside to check things out. I found one kitty and a mean looking mommy in my yard and I heard another kitty crying in my neighbors yard. I'm not sure how the other kitty got there. It must have fallen over the fence. It's poor little sibling was crying out to the lost kitty begging it to come back.

Soon my neighbor heard the sound too and came out to her backyard. She popped her head over the fence and asked if I had a kitty in my backyard. I said yes and said I thought the mom was probably there too because she was making some strange noises when I got too close to the kitty in my yard.

She held up her kitty to show me and I offered to put her with her mom (who had snagged the crying kitten and was hiding behind a tree in the corner of my yard). She said no and that she was going to keep it. I just stared at her. The kitties were so small. I don't know a lot about cats but it seems they need to be with their mom for a few weeks. I was not happy.

When my husband got home I told him the story and said I was going over to the neighbors to bang on the door and demand they give me my kitty. He wouldn't let me. SO instead I just talked really loud about the poor kitty while in my backyard. Passive-aggresive I know.

Since that day I have checked on the kitties many times. I am not sure if my neighbor gave the kitty back or if there was originally 3 kitties but we have 2 now. They live in my backyard.

They scurry away whenever I get close and I spend hours trying to coax them out of hiding. Bella is obsessed with them and loves to go visit them. It took me many tries to even get these pictures of them.

The lighter kitty is braver than the orange kitty. The orange kitty is always the first to run. The lighter kitty stays awhile to check me out although if I get too close it hisses at me. Enough to make me never try to pick him up!

Fortunately for me both Berto and Bella are allergic to cats so they can never become my permanent pets anyway.

Yesterday Berto asked if I was feeding them. I said no and asked why he was asking. He opens the window and shows me that there are like 3 cats hanging out in our backyard. I said "Weird. I don't know why. I'm not feeding our cats anything" (I am just giving them little sips of milk. Not feeding.) Oops. SO maybe I should stop that. I just thought the poor mommy cat might be thirsty in the hot weather. And I wanted her to like me and let me hang out with her kitties. Oh well.

I guess I will just have to keep watch over them from afar until they grow up and leave me! Besides I have jewelry to make!

More New Jewelry!

2006-07-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

This update was a labor of love my friends. Today was said to be the hottest day so far in San Jose. The bead room is upstairs and because we have amazing walk in closets (yes 2! One for me and one for him) we have little insulation upstairs (I'll still take the closets). Add the fact that it is already 10 degrees hotter upstairs to the fact that I was working with hot lights and man I was dying!

But it is all a distant ugly memory now and the new jewelry is up. Woohoo!

I am trying something new with the shell pictures that don't work on white. I was using a grey background but I wanted something more interesting. I feel like the grey makes everything look dull. I would love opinions. Email them to me if you are too shy to comment!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

In Moderation

2006-07-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

At a recent doctor's visit the nurse was going through the usual questions:

"Do you drink?" (Rarely)
"Smoke?" (No)
"Street Drugs?" (Never)
"Caffeine?" (Coffee on Fridays for "Coffee Friday" and Diet Coke)
"How many Diet Cokes?" (I think quickly and round down and non-chalantly say- oh maybe 3 or 4)
Nurse's eyes bug out. "4 Diet Cokes!?" She scribbles furiously

When the doctor comes in she sees the scribbles and starts lecturing me on how bad Diet Coke is for me. She says I have to cut it back to one and at the most two a day. She says the key is moderation in everything.

I couldn't agree more. Moderation is great. Unfortunately I was not blessed with the moderation gene. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. I have never been able to just work out 3 days a week. Either I work out 6 or none at all. I can't leave a Haagan Dazs Caramel Cone Ice cream (The best ice cream in America) in my freezer with a few bites out of it. I have to eat the whole thing (Which is why I SHOULD work out 6 days a week).

I mean, you guys have seen my bead room. I cannot have a few beads. Oh no...I have to have enough beads to open my own store. (Not that I could ever part with any of them).

But..it does work to my customer's advantage at times. Saturday night I went up to the bead room to get some orders ready and ended up staying up there for hours making jewelry. Which means that I will have new jewelry up and ready to go tonight. Now..if I was moderation girl I would only have 3 or 4 pieces right? So lack of moderation isn't always bad.

Getting back to the Diet Coke....as much as it pains me to say it I am really going to try to cut back. I realize that I have little eyes watching my every move (She already says "Diet Coke") and I do want to give her a fair shot at moderation. I stocked up on tea and waters and I am going to do my best to save my delicious beverage for lunches only. Wish me luck...

Posted in Getting Personal_

Perspective

2006-07-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

(Click on Picture to See Full Size Image)

I am a visual person. When I shop for beads online I keep a little ruler next to me because if I don't I won't really have a good idea of what size bead I am getting. I have been suprised more than a few times (When I am too lazy to go upstairs to get my ruler).

With that in mind I created this pendant guide . It gives you an idea of the common sizes that I use in my designs. Even if the exact size of the pendant you are eyeing is not on the guide you can can a rough idea of what size to expect. I have posted the guide on the website and I have also linked to it from every product page so you can check it out while you are shopping.

That teamed with the "See Worn" pictures should make shopping online almost as easy as shopping in person. Let me know if you have any other helpful suggestions.

Posted in Website News_

The Internet World

2006-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

I love the internet. (I might have to marry it if I wasn't already married.) I spend way too many hours every day searching for cool items for my blog, reading my favorite blogs (the list keeps growing), shopping, updating my website, doing business research, reserving books on cd at the library, etc. It amazes me when I come across people who don't live and breathe internet like I do. I just assume that everyone loves it as much as I do.

I'm very proud of the fact that I have educated my family on what a blog is and how to make the internet work for you. They all read my blogs and comment. They all shop online. (Except maybe my sister who only has internet at work. The horror! She is also a teacher which means no internet all summer! Gasp!!) I have also learned a few tricks from them. My dad taught me how to look up traffic problems in the area. He often calls me and asks me to look up certain freeways as he travels (knowing that I am never far from a computer).

My mom taught me how to make the library work for me. You go online and search for the books or cds or dvds that you want and either hold them or put yourself on the waiting list and the library will call you when they are on the shelf and on hold for you. I love it. Yes it takes the fun out of searching through all the beautiful book covers in the library BUT it is great for a mom on the go. Bella and I went to the library yesterday and she ran through the library screeching and saying "ELMO" to anyone who would listen. Time to put some cds on hold.

As I am surrounded by computer and internet savvy people it always suprises me when people are not up to speed.

A few weeks ago I threw away our phone books (in the recycle bin of course). My husband saw them and took them out. I argued that we didn't need them. I google any number that I want and Yahoo local is great for businesses in the area. He said we needed them. A few days later I heard him calling 411 for a number. That night I snuck outside and once again threw away the phone books.

One of my friends told me that she couldn't figure out how to get to my "blob".

I was exchanging business cards with a friend and when I pulled out my adorable card case she complimented me on it and I told her I got it on Etsy. She gave me a blank look and said "What's Etsy?"

A well meaning friend had ran into someone who had an online bead shop. She excidely handed me the piece of paper where she had written down the web address. It was an email address.

I don't want to make it seem like I look down on these people at all! I actually am challenged by their lack of internet knowledge. I make it my goal to educate them in the wonderful ways of the internet.

And I might be a little jealous that they don't hear little voices calling from their computer everytime they walk by it

"Check your email...dinner can wait!"

"Laundry? Now how about some blogs instead?"

P.S. I also think it's weird when people type www.sharmadesigns.com into google to find my site. Wouldn't it just be easier to type that into the browser bar? Hmm

Posted in Business Babble_

New Jewelry!

2006-07-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

The new jewelry is up! Here's a preview!

The see worn pictures aren't up yet but my sister will be visiting on Thursday and I will have her model them then. Yes I put my houseguests to work. What a mean sister!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Distraction

2006-07-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

I worked on making new jewelry on Saturday and had very good intentions of posting them last night but I fell asleep at 8:00....which I never do! Amazing what a night of no sleep the night before (thanks to your daughter's new eye teeth) will do to you!

Fortunately we didn't have big plans yesterday because I was so out of it. My husband and his brothers were glued to the tv watching the world cup. Needless to say they were delighted that Italy won. We celebrated by going out to eat and Pasta Pomodoro (where else right?)

While they were watching the game I was home with my munchkin. As soon as she went down for her nap I did what every distressed mom would do. I scrubbed the kitchen floor...wait is that not normal? Personally I think that a clean kitchen floor makes everyone feel better. At least it does me.

After Berto got back from the game I dashed out of the house to go get a pedicure with my friend. We have a standing bi weekly date to pamper our toes. It isn't quite as exotic as the picture above but yesterday that's what it felt like to me. Heaven!

So now that I have had 10 hours of beautifully uninterrupted sleep I'm sure I will be able to get the jewelry up tonight!

It's already Friday?

2006-07-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already Friday. This week has flown by! It know it looks like not much is going on in Sharma land but I have been working my tail off behind the scenes!

There is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into an online business. This week I have been working on banners for advertising, creating postcards for jewelry parties and of course...making new jewelry! I will be traveling down to Costa Mesa, CA in August for a few jewelry parties. I wanted to make up some postcards that they could print out themselves and send to friends or handout. Not everyone has email and besides...getting mail is way more fun!

I also have an office party next week that I am gearing up for. I have to make sure that everything is tagged and ready to go! I love doing home parties. It's so much fun to watch everyone try on jewelry and ooh and ahh.

As far as new jewelry...it should be up early next week. I like to have a nice group of jewelry before I post. I also just noticed that the Dainty Divas and Deliciously Dark necklaces are getting pretty low so i will focus on those sections this weekend.

I sold a lot of sale jewelry this last week but there are still a few deals to be had so check it out!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Love the Long Weekends!

2006-07-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun over the long weekend. I think the highlight of the weekend was a trip to Alum Rock park. I am such a nature girl and I love to get out and go for a good hike. Granted, we couldn't hike with the little munchkin with us but we were still surrounded by beautiful trees and the sound of running water and the delicious smell of sulfur. Oh wait....the smell part wasn't my favorite.

Alum Rock park is known for it's mineral springs. (I think this spring has seen better days) It used to be a nationally known health spa. People came for miles to soak in and drink the mineral spring water. I cannot imagine drinking the nasty stuff much less soaking in it! Many of the springs smell like sulfur! Even little Bella was holding her nose.

To Bella's delight, the park was teaming with squirrels. She was crying "Cute!" every 2 seconds. At one point I stopped Berto and said "Look at the guy. It looks like that squirrel is chasing him." Then like a scene out of the Twilight Zone we realized that all of the squirrels in the park were running toward the man. Apparently he was doing some kind of squirrel call. It was a little creepy. I think my dad traumatized me as a child by telling me how dirty squirrels were. Of course after Berto saw the man doing the squirrel call he wanted to try it. I protested loudly until he gave up. It's just that I had visions of a million squirrels nipping at Bella.

We decided that we definitely need to visit the park more often. It is very close to our house and a nice escape from all the noise. It also has a great kids playground. We just need to figure out how we can hike the trails with Bella. I've thought about one of those backpacks but my daughter is quite a little chunk. Whoever had her on their back would certainly get a workout!

We decided to skip the fireworks this year. I wasn't sure how Bella would react to them and that, in additional to the fact that they would be way past her bedtime frightened me a bit. We decided we would wait until next year. I was bummed that we couldn't see any fireworks from our house but I figure we have many years of fireworks ahead of us anyway.

Anyways..back to reality. For the next few nights I will be catching up on orders and designing new jewelry. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Contest results!

2006-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

First Place

Second Place

Third Place

Congratulations to all the winners! And thank you to everyone who entered! It was a fun contest!

New Markdowns!

2006-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

A bunch of jewelry has just been marked down! Jewelry that was already on sale has been marked down even more! Quick get over to the Sale Page and check it out because sale jewelry never lasts long!

Originally $46 now $27.60

Birthday Weekend!

2006-06-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Well as I suspected there just weren't any good birthday pictures of me. I had good intentions but you know how it is..you get involved in conversations and delicious mexican food and soon the night is over and you only have a picture of yourself that was taken by your husband while you were walking by and while you were giving him a dirty look. (Wow that was a long sentence). So I chopped off the dirty look. It wasn't pretty. I know it looks weird that I am beheaded but here is my birthday outfit.

Monterey was wonderful! It was so much cooler there! I had to wear a sweater all weekend. Our room was facing the beach and we could hear the waves crashing while we drfited off to sleep. It was like heaven! Here is the view from right outside our door.

Notice in the second picture (click to enlarge) that there are people in the water! What are they thinking?!

If you ever want to vacation to Monterey and are a beach fan you should check out the Best Western Beach Resort. Make sure you ask for a beachside room. The rooms even come with a "trap door" that you can open to hear the ocean better! And they do weddings too. I know because one was going on right in front of our room when we checked in. I was tempted to stay and watch and take pictures but it felt a little creepy.

We also got to do something rare this weekend. We saw a movie! I decided to have mercy on Roberto and not make him see the Lake House. We saw Click instead. It was cute. I think it would be a good family movie for older kids. I told Roberto after we left that I wish we could go to the movies every weekend! He just laughed at me.

Tonight when we got back I worked on new jewelry so look for new jewelry by the end of the week. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!!

Doomsday!

2006-06-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

Ha ha not really but I am ....ahem choke gasp sob....30 today. I celebrated Sharla's Eve by making myself a new necklace and earrings to go with my new (sshhhh!) birthday dress I treated myself to this week.

If I look cute in any of the birthday pictures I'll post them (At least I'm honest right?)

Tomorrow night my husband and I are celebrating by spending Sat and Sunday in Monterey. As hot as it has been it will be nice to be in Monterey where it is usually a little cooler (67 degrees compared to 102 according to the forecast). Our hotel is right on the beach too. Hubby did say no laptop for the weekend though. Boo! I guess I will just have to shop and buy myself birthday presents instead. I am going to make him take me to see the Lake House too. I LOVE movies and since we had Bella I have seen maybe 2.

One more word about the heat...the air conditioning in my office is broken!! Of course like I always do I wore jeans to the office yesterday. The boys like to keep it super cold in there and I am always freezing cold. So most days I am in jeans and have to wear a sweater or a hoodie until 3:00pm or so. NOT Yesterday! One of the hottest days of the year and we have no cold air. I seriosuly felt like I was melting away. I wanted to jump in our very large and very empty fridge (Of course to add insult to injury we are out of icy cold diet cokes). Let's hope its working today or I may just have to take advantage of the fact that it's my birthday and leave early!

At lastly...since it's my birthday and I am feeling generous I will leave you a picture of my sweet girl trying to stay cool in the hot hot heat.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Posted in Getting Personal_

Contest Entry

2006-06-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Sharma Designs...ahhh...a little piece of heaven! I ordered my first Sharma as a gift for someone else...so really, it wasn't MY first Sharma, rather my first purchased Sharma. When I opened the package, I had a sneaky little devil on one shoulder saying, "Keep it for yourself!" The angel on my other shoulder told me to do the right thing and give the intended gift. Okay, good squashed evil...this time. ;)

My next order was totally self-indulgent...totally for me. My favorite color in the world is purple...when I saw the beauty pictured below, I had to have it. I scrambled to sign into my Sharma account and click that "Add to Cart" button as fast as I could...I didn't want anyone else to nab it first...sorry, girls! Anyway, I looooove my necklace. It's so gorgeous. While shopping for the beautiful purple necklace, I spotted another beautiful shell necklace that I (obviously!) had to have...so it was also added to my cart. A few days later, my addiction was gnawing at me and I bought yet another Sharma.

When I wore my gorgeous purple stone necklace, I received compliment after compliment..."Sharma Designs, honey", I told them..."Get your own!"

I know Sharla thinks I'm crazy, but I love her designs...and the fact that she is bold, original and innovative in her approach to jewelry making just makes the experience all the better!

Keep 'em coming, Sharla!

Contest Entry

2006-06-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love Sharla, and her necklaces are just the icing on the cake. This girl makes some of the most creative jewelry I have ever laid my eyes on.

I have taken her jewelry all over the world. I travel a lot and work in a job that doesn’t necessarily allow my creativity to show. As soon as I take off my work clothes, I can’t wait to pepper my outfit with Sharma’s designs. There is something about pulling my collection out of my suitcase. They make me smile and always give me a sense of being at home.

My most memorable compliment came when I was in New Orleans. Mardi Gras was just wrapping up and we decided to go out and hit Bourbon Street. With all of the ornamentation everyone else was wearing, you would think my necklace would be one of the last things people would notice. NOT so! If I received one compliment, I received 100! I was so proud of my friend. I only wish she could be with me each time I receive a compliment.

I feel it important to mention that when I feel the most creative, I always put on one of my fun Sharma Design’s necklaces. There is something a little magic about her bobbles and swirls.

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Contest Entry

2006-06-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the very first time I wore a Sharma! I had looked everywhere for the perfect necklace to go with a black strapless dress that I was wearing to a friend's wedding last fall. But had no luck in stores! Then I tried an online search for "funky necklaces" and found out my luck had just changed because I had discovered your website. I ordered the perfect Sharma to accent for the wedding!

I have never received so many compliments on a necklace as when I wear my Green Sharma. Just a little example, the day I received it I went to lunch with a friend. I pulled it out in the restaurant to show her. Then women (perfect strangers) from both tables on either side of us leaned in and said "What a beautiful necklace...Where did you get it?!" I gave out all of your cards that were included in the box that the necklace shipped in that day!

So here is a picture of me and my fiancé-to-be at our friends' wedding. He proposed just three days after this wedding. And we are getting married in about a month on July 22!!

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Contest Entry

2006-06-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

I met up with a friend after not seeing her for eight months. Within the first hour of catching up with me she asked...about the necklace I had been wearing the last time I'd seen her. She said that she's thought about it many different times, and wants to find one like it. It's one I bought from Sharla as a Christmas gift to myself and have worn with both dressy and casual outfits...out for a night on the town, to a Christmas party, to parent-teacher conferences (where I'm the teacher), for a mountain picnic. I love the way the colors swirl a bit differently through the transparence of each bead. It's beautiful...versatile...and memorable!

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Making it

2006-06-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Make it blog has interviewed Sharma Designs. The blog is for crafty people who want to take their craft to the next level. So if you would like to read more about the business side of Sharma Designs click here..

Contest Entry

2006-06-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is my driver's license! (I cropped most of the license part out so nobody could come to my house and steal all of my Sharmas!) You know how every DMV pic is just so awful? Well, I wore this Sharma to the DMV and my picture actually turned out good! That's why it's my favorite. I love the orange and turquoise beads, and the big pendant, but it's the best because it really makes me more photogenic! Thanks for all your hard work Sharla :)

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Snazzying up the Website

2006-06-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

On this latest update I made a few changes to the website.

1. The pictures on the individual product page are bigger. I thought it might be more helpful in seeing the jewelry clearer right away. Here's the old way and here's the new way.

Are the bigger pictures better?
	Yes
	No
	Whatever

2. I have noted whether the jewelry is one of a kind or limited edition. As you know, most of the jewelry is one of a kind but there are a few pieces that are limited edition. By limited edition I am talking 2 or 3 pieces of jewelry. It amazes me how many people don't realize that my jewelry is one of a kind or limited edition. Hey! I want you to have beautiful pieces of jewelry that your neighbors and friends drool over and can't have! So far I have just done the new pieces but look for a site wide change soon!

3. A few weeks ago I added a new jewelry section. People told me they were too busy to go searching the site for all the new jewelry. Well now it's easy. I have been updating the new jewelry section bi-weekly if not weekly so check back often!

I think that's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Posted in Website News_

A Sharp Feature!

2006-06-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

We just found out that the fun blog Sharp Lily: Sweet Finds for Smart Girls has featured one of our new bracelets. Yay! Thanks Sharp Lily!

Read the feature here

Bracelet featured:

Posted in Celebrate_

New Jewelry!

2006-06-14T00:23:00.000-07:00

I may have splurged a little on beads recently. It's a darn good thing that I design jewelry that people love because..well..I'm Sharla and I am a beadaholique. There! I said it.

But seriously.. I am so excited about my new beads and especially my new pendants. I am in love with the laser etched pendants. Too pretty huh?

Here is a sneak preview and you can see all of the pretty new jewelry here

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Contest Entry

2006-06-14T00:18:00.000-07:00

"My Favorite Sharma

How can you make me pick? It’s like asking me to choose my favorite child;

I can’t do it.

They are all unique, and they are all special. I wear them frequently! The necklace with the wood circle is my newest (I think; I can never be sure), and it goes with everything. I’m wearing a matching pair of earrings that Sharla made just for me, but because my hair is so thick and curly, you can’t really see them.

So instead, I bought another pair of earrings with wood and bone that match perfectly. The other MOP earrings are lots of fun and always add loads of style to whatever I’m wearing(which is what ALL Sharma’s do, if we are to be completely honest here).

The pink necklace with the silver flower was my very first Sharma, that I must have bought 2 or 3 years ago, and still wear. As you can see, it would be impossible for me to pick my absolute favorite because they are all my favorites! Thanks Shar!"

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Totally Indie Coupons!

2006-06-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Now when you order jewelry from Sharma Designs you will receive a "Totally Indie" coupon bag! There are 40 coupons to some very fabulous indie websites. As you can see...one of them is yours truly. Seriously though..the discounts are very generous. I saw a lot of 15 and 20% off when I was packaging up the coupons.

Here are the websites that are participating. Check them out and then order some jewelry so you can receive your very own "Totally Indie" coupon bag!

Sweet Pea Handcrafts, Lindsay Designs, The Paper Princess, Spunky Kitty Style, Sommer Designs, Button Arcade, Iglubu, Nesting with Style, Botanical Earth, Earthenwood Studios, Holland Cox, Shades of Violet, One Little Monkey, Yen Jewelry, A Planet for Creation, Zoomzawear, Katie Beane, Sprout Studio, Heart + Soul, Primrose Design, On a Friday, New Orleans Craft Mafia, Purple Pink and Orange, Crooked Mile Candle Company, Snap Crafty, Artful Sentiments, Two Space, Dp Jewelry Designs, Hella Good, Pink Loves Brown, Milkshake, 360 Skin Care, The Glam Boutique, Acorn Studios, Beaded Things, Silver Style, Twist Style, India Romeo, and Cherry Momma

Posted in Website News_

Contest Entry

2006-06-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

I bought this Sharma necklace right before our vacation...I knew it would be a perfect beach necklace, but when we were sitting on the deck of a beach restaurant, my husband said " your necklace is the same color as the water! " ...I realized the green beads were the same color as the beautiful sea green water in Destin Florida!.....Now it reminds me of the beach and that "vacation feeling" everytime I wear it!
Thank you for your fabulous designs!

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Bridesmaid Jewelry

2006-06-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have done a fair amount of bridesmaid jewelry. I don't have a ton of examples on my site because often in the hectiness of the day the brides forget to take pictures. A bride just recently sent me this picture:

I love this bridesmaid necklace because it is something that can be worn everyday. First of all, it's black. Everyone needs a basic black necklace. It is also a versatile necklace. Its good for people who have dainty taste and for those that like funky necklaces. It's a little of both.

These bridesmaids may never wear the dress again (I have never found a reason to wear even my cute bridesmaid dresses!) but I bet they will wear the necklace again!

If you or someone you know needs custom jewelry for their wedding have them email me!

Posted in Website News_

Contest Entry

2006-06-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

I love my collection of Sharma Designs earrings! Since I can't wear bracelets or necklaces at my massage therapy office, I rely on my earrings to give my outfit a kick. They have never failed me as my clients always compliment them. I love this pair because they go with just about everything I own and are still unique!

Contest Entry

2006-06-07T22:41:00.000-07:00

I wear this Sharma all the time and I always get compliments on it!

Jewelry Storage Idea

2006-06-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

I originally posted this over at Rare Bird Finds but I thought I should post it here too! What a pretty earring holder!!

Do you have all your beautiful earrings tucked snuggly away in a jewelry box where you will never think to wear them when you are getting ready for the day? You need this Bronze Empress Earring Tree. Not only will it look beautiful with all your colorful earrings on it but you will actually remember to put them on in the morning. $68.95 at Wrapables

Time Flies!

2006-06-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

This week my baby girl turns 18 months! Everyone always says that time flies but it's hard to completely understand until your baby is quickly moving out of baby stage and it feels like you were just holding her for the first time. She is the light of my life. I just can't imagine life without her.

Not to say that it has been easy to juggle being a mommy, a wife, working and running a business. When she was first born I decided to take a sabbatical from Sharma Designs for a few months so that I could just enjoy her without any stress. Well..at least any business stress. Being a mom for the first time is a little stressful! I still feel that that was the right decision.

When I came back I did have to work 2x as hard to get back to speed but I was full of inspiration and energy. I would bring the little munch into the bead room in her swing and design away. Then she became mobile and it was harder to find the time to do everything I needed to do. A room full of beads is not exactly baby friendly. She really never slept through the night until she was 1 or so. This made it hard to stay up late because as you moms know..when you have to get up in the middle of the night it is just not the same quality of sleep.

Now we have fallen into a groove. She goes to sleep and stays asleep. I can stay up late working. She loves beads and jewelry. Sometimes if I get new beads I let her play with them (if they are strung and she can't eat them-and I am right there). She sees new jewelry and says "Cuuute!" I predict she will be helping me design in no time.

If you have a business and are wondering how it works when you have kids. Well it isn't easy. But its also not as hard as you might think. I think it runs in phases. We will be in a groove and it will all be running smoothly and then we will all get the flu (ugghh). You know what though? Even when it's really hard I wouldn't change a thing. I mean..look at her!

Posted in Getting Personal_

New Jewelry!

2006-06-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Going into this weekend I knewI had to make some more bracelets. I have a pending wholesale order that was half bracelets. The buyer found me through a very cool blog called Crafty Synergy. It's a blog that interviews indie designers. My interview is here.

I had no idea if I would have time to make a bunch of new stuff. We were having my husband's parents over Saturday night and mine over Sunday night (Why waste a clean house?).

So on Saturday night my husband and I made the mistake of having some strong strong coffee after dinner. In my pre Bella days it would have been no big deal. My blood was half coffee. Nowadays I only drink a cup in the morning if that. Well..the good news is that I was so buzzed on the caffiene that I made a slew of gorgeous new jewelry pieces. The bad news is that we were awake until 3:30am!! We were dragging big time on Sunday!

Anyhow..here are some previews... You can see all of the new jewelry here.

You'll see that the 2nd necklace is not on the new jewelry page. That's because my mom already got a sneak peek and snapped it up for herself. I just love it so I at least wanted you to see it!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Contest Entry

2006-06-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

What a cutie pie! This is one of my most loyal customers. She says this is her favorite Sharma because it's a star(she loves stars) and because the colors go with everything.

Learn about the contest

Don't forget to come back to vote between June 24th and 30th!

Good Contest - Great Prizes!

2006-06-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we ran a contest so we decided to make this a big one! This contest runs until June 23rd (my birthday). Winners will be announced July 1st. There are 2 ways to enter and three top prizes!

First Place: A $75 gift certificate to Sharma Designs
Second Place: A free necklace of your choice
Third Place: A free pair of earrings of your choice
All who participate will recieve a 10% off coupon for their next purchase!

Winners will be chosen by votes received on Our Blog between June 24th and June 30th. All entries will be viewable on the blog. The voting will be open to anyone who wishes to participate. Once you enter, you will receive instructions on where people can vote.
Don't have a Sharma? Well what are you waiting for? Go get one!

1st Way to Enter: Say Cheese!
Send me a picture of you wearing your favorite Sharma Designs piece of jewelry. I prefer digital but if you only have hard copies I can give you an address to send them to.
Include a small blurb about why that piece is your favorite.Pictures will be published on the blog but all names will be kept confidential.

2nd Way to Enter: Wax Poetically
Do you have a "My Sharma Stole the Show" story to tell? Someone stopped you on the street and begged you to sell your necklace to them? Once your boyfriend saw your necklace he knew you must be the one for him? You get the idea.
All stories must be real! If you send a fake I won't enter it in the contest.

Have fun with this contest. I get such a kick out of the pictures and stories. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Posted in Website News_

Studio Friday: Space

2006-06-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

This week's topic for Friday June 2nd suggested by Tracie: SPACE?!!.

" Space? The final frontier? I have limited studio space, but not by the mere fact the room is only probably 9x10 but because of all the many things inside of that space! What consumes your creative space? Tell us about those infringements."

I have three good sized tables in my studio. I thought when I set things up that this would be more than enough. Then my beads slowly started to take over every unsuspecting surface.

I like to spend a few nights "designing". I lay everything out in the design that it will be made. So I have found that I need all tables for this process.

So much for my "Shipping Table". It has been reduced to my "Shipping Area". I even had to build up in order to fit all my needed supplies. It's really the only area in my space that is this organized.

Like most of the crafty ladies in Studio Friday...if I had just a little more space I would need just a little more a few days later!

Lurking Around the Corner

2006-05-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

In just a few weeks I will be the big 3-0. It's hard for me to believe. I thought I would be more upset about it but I look at my life and everything I've been blessed with and the things I have accomplished and I feel okay that I am reaching this milestone. Plus I don't feel 30.

I have decided that I need to do a few things to ensure that I don't look 30. Or at least don't look older than 30. Here's my list:

1. I need to start working out again. I used to be psycho about working out. I got up at 4:45am and did my Firm videos or I hit the gym in the morning and did a video at night. I even went through a period where I cut all sugar and processed food and even Diet Coke out of my diet. When I got pregnant I slacked off of the working out. I was too tired and developed sciatica early in my pregnancy which made it hard to walk much less work out. It disappeared by my 3rd trimester but by then I was too huge(and clumsy) to workout. I gained a ton of weight. I told myself the minute she came out I was starting the videos again.

Well the metabolism gods must have been on my side because a week after I had the baby I had already lost 35 lbs. I lost the rest of the weight (yes there was more!) fairly quickly and the last stubborn pounds evaporated when my husband (then boyfriend) and I joined Gold's Gym for a few months.

Now I am as skinny as I was before I became pregnant which makes it hard for me to be motivated to work out. I know that for my health I need too but I tell myself I get plenty of exercise running after Bella (and carrying her - she weighs a ton!). Regardless, I know I feel my best when I am lifting weights so it's time to dust off the Firm videos. If you have never tried the videos you should! They really do deliver amazing results. They are not for the lazy though. They will give you a serious workout!

2. I need to start a skin regimen. I have been so bad about taking care of my skin. I always tanned, I smoked for years, and I always (used to) go to bed with my makeup on. My problem is that I know nothing about beauty products. Fortunately for me I have a friend that is a beauty expert. Mei Lynn suggested that I read the Skin Type Solution book. You take a quiz to see what type of skin you have (In 4 different areas) and then there is a list of recommended products for that exact skin type. For example, I am a DRPW or Dry, Resistant, Pigmented, Wrinkled. I ordered the products I need this week and can't wait to see the difference!

3. I need a natural glow. My mom always said that tan fat is better than white fat. I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't dream of actually tanning, especially since I read the book mentioned above. So I bought some Oil of Olay Touch of Sun to test out. My sister in law uses it and her tan looks great. I have used the Jergens one before and I liked it but it smells awful!

I know the self tan seems silly but it's an easy self improvement. And I will see immediate results with this one.

So there you go. My "I'm getting older" to do list. I will keep you posted on the results.

Oh and I haven't forgotten about my "Earrings that Flatter your Face" tips. More to come soon!

Posted in Getting Personal_

Catching Up

2006-05-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

After my fun day at the beach I went full speed ahead into a crazy weekend. My brother in law graduated from San Jose State this weekend so my mother in law stayed with us for the weekend. It was a fun weekend but all the cleaning beforehand and the party we made food for was exhausting. The party was a blast but I am not an extremely social person (tend to be a little shy) and that much talking and hugging/kissing (Big Italian family) wears me out.

Yesterday Bella and I were alone all day so we spent the day blowing bubbles, shopping and playing at the park. I spent the evening laying like a zombie on the couch which I never do so I must have been really tired! Today we hit the sales with my mom (I'm a shopaholic what can I say?).

I didn't even get around to designing with my brand new beads that I received on Friday:

I am such a sucker for window beads (the pink and purple beads). My customers love them too. In fact, many of the first necklaces I sold were made of window beads. I think what makes them popular is the gorgeous colors and the fact that you don't see them in alot of jewelry. I use the amber/brown and turquoise/brown ones a lot but I thought I would branch out with a few new colors.

The big chunky caramel colored ones are also just amazing in person. They have a gorgeous amount of depth and shine to them. They kinda remind me of candy (most beads do). I think it's about time for some super chunky necklaces.

I also got a few new pendants to play with:

The black pendants are definitely going in the Bold and Brassy section. They are really striking in person. Definitely not for the timid jewelry wearer. They will definitely get you some attention.

I am waiting for a few other new things and then I will start designing the new pieces. I can't wait to see what I come up with!

Hope you had a relaxing and fun weekend!

Posted in Business Babble_

A Break from the Ordinary

2006-05-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, my good friend Jen called and asked what I was doing Wednesday. I quickly brought up my to do list in my head: Laundry, Grocery Shopping, Cleaning, Work... and said "Nothing at all!" She said she was free as well and that my daughter and I should come spend the day with her in Santa Cruz.
She said the weather had been gorgeous and she was sure it would be a great day for the beach. We made a date.

I live far enough away from Santa Cruz to be considered a "tourist" by the Santa Cruz locals but close enough that there is no excuse that my daughter has only been to the ocean a handful of times. The last time we went she was still crawling and we didn't get near the water. So I happily packed our bags and we headed off to Santa Cruz..ignoring the piles of laundry and un vacuumed floors.

Jen and I have been friends as long as I can remember and we always have a great time together. I always feel re-charged after we have hung out. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and stressed out lately so it was time for a day of fun.

We shopped in downtown Santa Cruz for a few hours and then headed to Natural Bridges beach. The weather was perfect. Not so hot that you have nightmares of skin cancer but not so cold that you spend the whole time huddled in blankets.

Jen and I laughed at ourselves because we spent much of our teenage years scoffing at sunscreen over an spf of 4 while we basked in the sun for hours on end. Now we both use tons of sunscreen (over 30spf of course) and fearfully analyze any new freckle or weird mole.

My daughter had so much fun in the water. I usually steer clear of the water because it's too cold for me (I have become such a wuss in my old age) but I toughed it out for Bella. Once your feet and ankles get numb it's not so bad anyway.

I realized that I really need to have more days like this. Even though it was an event packed day I came home in a great mood ready to tackle the housework. I got so much done tonight! Hopefully as the weather continues to get warmer we can at least get to the beach every other week. I don't think Bella will mind!

Posted in Getting Personal_

A Good Man!

2006-05-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

When my sister read my love letter post she said she also had a "My Sharma Stole the Show" story to tell. I love all these stories! Keep them coming!

Here's her story:

I was giving the boy I've been seeing a test to see how observant he is (he's pretty into details). I was asking him what I was wearing on our first date. He remembered I had some sweater on with some funky little sewed on flowers, but he thought it was black (it was light blue). He said all he remembered was a cool white necklace (the white mosaic, one of my favs). A testimony to show that even though guys may not remember what you wear, the jewelry stands out (especially if it's a Sharma).

Do you have a "My Sharma Stole the Show" story to tell? Email it to me! I'd love to hear it!

Posted in My Sharma Stole the Show_

New Jewelry!

2006-05-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

I added a few new jewelry pieces this morning. Inspired by my "Colors" post, I tried to incorporate some colors that I don't usually use(and some I always use). It was challenging but I like the end result!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

You Want Me to Stay Where??!!

2006-05-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

I was copying and deleteing the pictures from our camera last tonight and came across pictures that I just had to share.

For our honeymoon, we had my friend who is a travel agent book us a trip to Maui. When we were discussing hotel options we agreed that we wouldn't stay at the fanciest hotel because we would rather spend our money on doing things and enjoying the island. So my friend said there was this hotel right in Lahaina that had recently remodeled but was a decent deal. She sent pictures of what the rooms looked like and I thought they looked fabulous. We said great.

The first night of our honeymoon we arrived at the hotel around 11:30pm. The hotel looked a little run down but there were obvious signs of construction like a big overhaul was in the works. Afterall, I had seen the remodeled rooms so I knew that even if the exterior was a little rough the inside was like a tropical heaven.

We wearily dragged our bags down the corriders and mysteriously left the quiet, newer looking halls and entered a shadier area where the residents peered out their windows at us. Hmm. We opened the door to our room and I entered my worst nightmare. It was the shabbiest little room I had ever seen. It made the Motel 6 look like a luxury hotel. I am not kidding. I started freaking out. I told my husband I could not stay there. He was trying to convince me that it wasn't that bad. He headed for the bathroom and I heard a "You're not going to like this very much". He was referring to this:

How nasty is that bath tub? The towels were like the threadbare towels that you give to your husband to use in the garage for rags. The kind you would NEVER put out for company. The couch was threadbare and there were super thin parts in the chinzy carpet.

I sat on the bed (after I pulled back the quilt - I know they don't wash those) and cried. Then I remembered that I had seen those remodeled pictures. "Wait! They put us in the wrong room! We have a remodeled room!" I called the front desk and told the guy. He assured me that we were in the right room and that if I wanted to talk to the manager in the morning I could.

Stay in this dump? All night? How could I sleep knowing that there were most likely bed bugs crawling all over me? And look at the ceiling!!

Somehow I fell asleep. The minute I woke up I called my friend. Of course she fixed everything. I was so happy at that moment that I had decided to book things through her. Not only did we get a remodeled room but we also got a 1 bedroom room instead of a studio. It had a full kitchen instead of a kitchenette and had a living room with an additional tv to the flat screen in the bedroom.

Strangely enough...when we were walking around the complex a few days later we saw that the whole wing where they stuck us the first night was gutted. Ya right we were supposed to stay there! I think they overbooked the first night and didn't know what to do when we showed up.

Fortunately, the rest of the trip was uneventful and at least we have a funny honeymoon story to tell! It sure wasn't funny then though.

Posted in Getting Personal_

Aw!! A Love Letter

2006-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

I got this email from a customer a few days ago and just had to share. I thought it was so sweet of her to send it...

"Yesterday, I was at a drive through and the man, at the window, leaned into my car to look at my necklace. He said it was beautiful! Thanks for making such pretty things for us to wear and get complemented on."

Posted in My Sharma Stole the Show_

Colors

2006-05-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

In my entire collection of jewelry, there is not one piece that I would not be happy to wear. I sincerely love every piece that I create. The problem that I come across sometimes is that I tend to use colors that I love best or look best in. If you use the shop by color feature on my site you will notice that the greens and browns have the most pieces of jewelry. What can I say? I love earthy colors.

I try really hard to branch out but whenever I get more beads I notice that they are in the same color family. I guess I am just not drawn to other colors like I am greens, blues and browns. I know for sure that I have few (oops none) yellow pieces because yellow looks horrible on me. I have a lot of yellow in my skin tone. I think I subconsciously stay away from it because I have trained myself to "not even go there".

For me, it's not really a color trend thing. Sure I watch the trends. I don't usually subject myself to them though. Especially in my jewelry. The focus of my collection is on being an individual and having a unique piece of jewelry not looking like everyone else.

So I need your help. What colors would you like to see more of at Sharma Designs? If there is a specific shade please leave it in the comments of the poll (also anonymous if you wish). Ie..you vote for blue but specify "Periwinkle blue" in the comments.

Studio Friday - Contrast

2006-05-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

I had a great Studio Friday planned. I took the picture and the stupid flash kept going off and well...it was just not working for me.

As I looked at my pictures, I found the perfect contrast candidates. My black and white jewelry that I had to re-shoot this week. I like to photograph my pictures with a white background, but the white in these beads just makes them really hard to see so grey it is.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

My Other Blogs

2006-05-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

I try to keep this blog fresh and interesting. Some weeks I am on the ball and have a new post up every night and sometimes there are days in between. It's hard sometimes to come up with a post everyday. I also have 2 other blogs that I post to.

One is my daughter's blog. Because my relatives are all so far away I used to send out "Bella a Day pictures". It got to be too much pressure to make sure I had a few good pictures to send everyday and it morphed into "Bella a Week". It was fun but as her personality was developing I wanted to let everyone "get to know her" so I started a blog for her. "She" posts nightly and let me tell you..when there is not a fresh post I hear it! I find myself looking for funny anecdotes to blog about all day. I hope someday she will be able to read it and enjoy it. My husband and I joked last night that when she is old enough to read it she will probably be saying "You guys used Blogger? That is so 2000s!" Ha ha.

My other blog is a blog I started with my friend Mei-Lynn of the Hella Good fame. It's called Rare Bird Finds. It started as a cool finds kind of shopping blog. I've had a great time with that because I am such a shopper by nature. I love finding the uncommon little treasures. Recently we have added a poll and some funny stories asking "What Would You Choose?" It's a lot of fun to write for. I would love to hear what you guys think about it.

So when this blog hasn't been updated you should check the others. Chances are..one of them has been!

Ps You can get your very own "I'm blogging this" tee right here for $17.99

Posted in Business Babble_

Earrings to Flatter your Face Shape - Part 1 Round Face

2006-05-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

We all love the little tricks that help us look our best right? Well, I have been researching what style of earrings look best with what face shape and I want to share my findings with you.

Face Shape: Round

Styles that flatter the face: To make your face appear longer try some long and narrow earrings. Earrings with a square or oblong shape also work well.

Not the best choice: Very small or stud earrings

Examples of good choices for a round face:

Wood Oval Earrings

Olive Jade Butterfly Earrings
Posted in Jewelry Tips_

New Necklaces!

2006-05-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

I designed a few new necklaces this weekend that I love so much I just had to make myself my own as a Mother's Day present (I am wearing it in the picture in the post below). The pictures make it a little hard to see the delicate circle chain but the seen worn pictures are much clearer. Update: I changed the background and now they are much easier to see!

Happy Mother's Day!

2006-05-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

Today was my second Mother's Day. My husband brought me my favorite breakfast..a grande nonfat caramel machiatto and a maple scone. A good man. My daughter ratted me out by making a beeline for the tell tale scone bag and pointing excitedly. My husband said "oh Bella how do you know what's in that bag? Maybe because you share one with mommy every morning?" Never!!

We had a late lunch at Cheesecake factory with my mom and dad which ,as always, was delicious. Then my husband let me take a nap (a rare treat) and he cleaned the kitchen. It was a great day. One of my mother's day presents is that I get to go get my hair done which I am obviously in desperate need of!

Happy Mother's Day to all my favorite moms! I hope you all were treated like queens for the day!

Posted in Getting Personal_

Studio Friday - Robots

2006-05-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

No no the robot is not my daughter. She definitely does not have an "Off" button. My trusty robot is my laptop. I love my laptop because it makes it easy for me to do business tasks anywhere in the house. My favorite spot is in front of the tv watching a little reality tv or Law and Order.

I also love my robot because it is filled with wonderful memories in the form of digital photos. Pregnancy, Baby, Family, Friends and of course my jewelry. I can take a walk down memory lane with the click of the mouse.

I currently am a little miffed at my robot for 2 reasons:

1) See the black thingy sticking out of the usb port? Well, that is what allows my wireless mouse to work. Apparently my daughter has been playing with it because it is very sick. It clicks on and off with that annoying little "dunuh" sound about 10 times an hour. It is very aggravating when you have a ton of pictures to edit. I need a new mouse desperately.

2) The screen is so bright that I have a hard time telling what my photos really look like. I have tried the dimmer switch but it just doesn't help. At least I get some exercise. I edit a photo then run up the stairs yelling "I'm not done with the computer yet!*" and check out the photos on our PC.

Nonetheless this little guy is my trusty friend. I would not be able to run my business without it. And just look at the good example I am setting for my daughter....

*My husband also has a little bit of a computer addiction. He is a forum junkie. He swears it is my fault because I spend so much time making jewelry. hmmpph.

Much Needed Change

2006-05-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today I got the "Blog" bug and started trying to tweak my blog design a bit. Unfortunately, I think I had made one too many changes. Things were just not coming out right. I also had noticed lately that my blog titles and posts were disappearing. So annoying. I decided I should start from scratch.

I think I might have mentioned it before but when I get an idea I like to run with it/obsess about it/not eat or sleep until it's done. The problem was that I was at work when the bug bit me and being the very responsible office manager that I am..I knew that I should not even attempt to start a thing until I was home and had Bella safely tucked in bed for the night. It was very very hard for me to resist but somehow I managed. You better believe that the minute I kissed the munch goodnight I was on my computer (laundry schmaundry).

So, here's the new and improved blog. It's a little cleaner and yet still colorful. One negative aspect is that I lost all my comments. But hey..how can you comment if you can't see the post anyway right?

I found a fun little blog goodie today as well. If you look at the "See Worn" post you will notice a little poll. Who doesn't love to give their opinion right? And its even anonymous for you shy readers. So let's try a new one okay?

But What Does it Look Like On?

2006-05-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

When I first started Sharma Designs all of my necklaces were modelled by me. The pictures were just my neck and the necklace. It worked because people could see how the necklaces looked on a person.

I soon gave in to the "prettiness" factor, however, and changed the pictures to a white background (and then retook them a zillion times). I love the way the pictures look now but a few people have said that it would help to see the necklaces on someone to get an idea of the dimentions.

Well..you ask and I listen. I have taken a few "See Worn" pictures. I chose a few necklaces that might be hard to picture on. Yes it is me in the pictures. Yes my neck looks a little funky. It's not easy to get a good picture of your own neck.

I wear most of my necklaces at 15 inches to give you an idea of fit. Too bad taking pictures on my neck might not be the best idea. Now I want all of them for myself! Muahahaha!

Here are a few of the pictures. There will be more over the coming days. If there is ever a necklace you would like to see on before buying please just act. It's no problem.

Horn Stick and Mother of Pearl Handmade Necklace

Aqua Quartz and Abalone Handmade Necklace

Horn and Brown Shell Handmade Necklace

The Pictures are Done...Almost

2006-05-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes for a weekend of taking and editing photos but my daughter is cutting 4 teeth right now and she was, shall we say, a little needy this weekend. I slowly plugged along and tonight I finished putting up all the new necklace and bracelet pictures. The earring pictures are edited just not up yet. That's on the agenda for tomorrow night.

I really think the new pictures do the jewelry more justice. If anything looks off please let me know.

Posted in Website News_

The Matching Earrings

2006-05-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that a lot of my necklaces say "This necklace comes with matching earrings". So you may wonder what the matching earrings look like. They are usually simple with one to three of the same beads used in the necklace. They compliment the necklace perfectly without competing with it.

Why do I do it? Because I know that people like to have a jewelry set. Who has time in the morning to dig through their jewelry box and try on a ton of possible matches to their necklace? Heck I don't have time to do my hair most days (Its always clean just not dried and straightened like I would prefer).

So there you go. I'm glad to do my part to help your day just a tiny bit easier.

Posted in Business Babble_

I Just Don't Get it....

2006-05-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

I hate roaches. In fact, I hate them so much that I had the exterminator come and spray the minute I saw ONE roach in our bathtub. We never saw another one but I just couldn't bear the thought of one being anywhere near my daughter.

When he came out he told us that it was probably because it had been so wet and that we definitely didn't have an infestation. My husband looked happy for a minute..until the words "So lets do the bi-monthly service plan" came out of my mouth. He wasn't very happy but I just would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to the creepy things.

Why am I so traumatized? Well the building where I work part time had a roach problem for awhile. I was so anxious everyday when I turned on the light in my office...curling my toes to make sure no roaches got near them and slowly rounding the corner to my desk. It was awful. I was a psycho that month..sweeping the room with my eyes every 5 seconds and scanning the floor every 3 seconds. I felt like I was in my own private hell.

So you can imagine my horror when I saw this...

What are these people thinking? These are live Giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches that have been "prettied up" with swarovski crystals and made into brooches. They climb all over the wearer. How gross is that? You can definitely put that on the list of top 100 things I don't want for Mother's Day!

Posted in Business Babble_

Studio Friday

2006-05-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, you can't usually hear anything in my studio besides whatever audio cd I am currently listening to. Gone are the days when I had time to curl up on the couch with a good book. So I try to multitask when I work and I listen to a good book and bead at the same time.

In between the chapters you can hear my beads. They make a wonderful "tinkly chink" noise as they bump into each other. The clinking beads are definitely my favorite studio sound. They also make a much more interesting picture.

Posted in Studio Friday_

Yours, Mine, and Ours

2006-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of marriage is that all your husband's toys are now your toys. Ha ha ha. It is especially great when you have a husband who spent his bachelor years buying himself top of the line digital cameras. While I was very excited about MY new camera I have also been a little intimidated. The manual is the size of a encyclopedia and does not include a "For Dummies" translation.

So I busted out my sad doe eyes and put on my well practiced pouty lip and asked my husband to help me figure out the camera. He is a good sport and has come to understand, if not love, my obsessive nature when it comes to my website pictures. He patiently sat with me and shot and re-shot pictures late into the night.

I am thrilled with the result. Only a few new pictures are up so far but you better believe the perfect picture demon will keep me up for hours tonight and the rest of the weekend shooting the rest. Thank god for triple grande nonfat caramel macchiattos and afternoon coffee fixes.

Here are a few before and after photos:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Posted in Business Babble_

You Get What You Pay For

2006-05-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that exposure to lead can be dangerous. It can cause brain damage, kidney damage, hearings loss and impaired growth in children and teenagers. Did you know that the costume jewelry that you have bought at Burlington Coat Factory, Claire’s Boutique, Express, Macy’s, Mervyn’s, Nordstrom, Ross, and Target could expose you to dangerous levels of lead?

These stores are part of a lawsuit that requires them to meet new standards for lead free and low lead jewelry.

Scary stuff. So while you may think you are getting a deal by buying jewelry from these stores you may be getting more than you bargained for.

If you would like to read the whole article click here

Posted in Business Babble_

Win These Earrings!

2006-05-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Want a chance to win these earrings? Check out the May contest at Grechen's Closet. Grechen's Closet is an amazing shoppping site with lots of links to every online boutique imaginable and reviews of clothing by Grechen herself. Check it out!

Posted in Website News_

New Jewelry

2006-05-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

Lots of new pieces of jewelry have been added to the site. The update is mostly earrings but there are also a few fun necklaces! Check out the site for all the new jewelry!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Mother's Day is Coming

2006-04-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

I have been laying low this week. In order to remind me of the joys of motherhood my 15 month old got the stomach flu and proceeded to give it to me and her dad. Not a very fun week. It is not fun to see your baby miserable and it is even less fun to see her miserable when you feel miserable too.

Of course I have heard that being a mother is the toughest job you will ever have. I don't think I could have understood that until I became a mom. I know I still have years of understanding ahead of me too. Oh joy.

Moms definitely get taken for granted. I get up with my little munch whenever she wakes up in the night, I change her diapers, I feed her, I am with her when she is sick....and who does she run to when both her daddy and I are there? Her daddy of course. I think its funny but it's also like "Hey! What about me?"

So I have been reflecting on growing up and how we were towards my mom. I'm sure we were lots of fun to have around but I know that we gave my mom a run for her money seeing that we were all 1 and a half years apart. I remember always wanting to hang out with my dad too. I'm sure we took my mom for granted numerous times.

All that being said....get your mom something extra nice for Mother's Day this year. Show mom that despite the "You ruined my life!" and "I wish you weren't my mom!" that you really do love her and respect her for the job she did raising you. She deserves it.

My mom usually gets a Sharma Designs necklace that I custom make for her. If you are going to get your mom a piece of jewelry ask yourself these questions:

1. Is there anything in particular she likes? ie butterflies, shells, hearts, etc
2. Do you always compliment her when she wears a certain color?
3. Does she love bold jewelry or is she more conservative?
4. Does she wear earrings, necklaces, or bracelets?
5. Is she super picky? Would she prefer to pick something out herself?

If you would like a coupon code so you can save a little money please email me or join the mailing list. I will be sending out a Mother's Day discount code very soon.

If you would like me to send a "Hint" email to your husband or significant other I can do that too. Tell me what designs you like and I will do my best. I know they sometimes need a little help ; )

Studio Friday

2006-04-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have finally gotten my act together to participate in Studio Friday!

This week's topic was Sparkle/Shine or Shimmer. Being a jewelry artist, this was an easy one for me. I had many sparkly things to chose from in my studio. This Muscovite necklace is probably the sparkliest. Its hard to fully capture the sparkliness in a picture but this pendant sparkles like crazy!

Posted in Studio Friday_

Mother's Day Discount

2006-04-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

Check out our ad at Thrifty Boutique for a special Mother's Day Code.

Posted in Sales Alerts_

All in one Place

2006-04-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a collage of all the latest jewelry for those who like to see it all in one place:

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

More New Jewelry!

2006-04-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

I have been working my fingers to the bone! There are over 20 new pieces of jewelry at Sharma Designs! Here are a few of the new pieces but check out the site to see all of them!

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

Choosing the Right Jewelry

2006-04-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

A great piece of jewelry looks even more spectacular when paired with the right outfit. Over the years, I have heard more than one person say, "I would have no idea how to wear that". So I have decided to give a few visual examples of how to pair your Sharma Designs jewelry with your outfits.

One basic tip I like to give is that when you wear a loud print or even something that has multiple colors in it try a piece of jewelry that has only one or two colors in it. Your jewelry should complement your outfit not compete with it. If your outfit has just one color or is muted tones then I would say grab your most colorful jewelry and go for it!

Next you need to think about how you are going to "Showcase" the jewelry. The style of the neckline should determine what type of necklace or earrings you will wear. Here are a few examples:

1. This dress has a nice v neck line. A drop necklace or a necklace with a pendant would look great with it. You could definitely use color on this dress or you could pair it with a matching black and white necklace like this White Howlite Teardrop Necklace:

2. This dress also has a nice wide neckline. It is just one color so I would definitely go for a lot of color in my necklace. I think the Stamped Thai Silver Necklace would look fabulous with it:

3. This spaghetti strap dress would look great with a necklace worn close to the neck. Because this dress is very delicate looking I would choose a complementing delicate necklace like the Onyx and Mother of Pearl Necklace:

4. Halters can be a little tricky. While they usually have a nice plunging neckline, it is easy for a necklace to get caught in the tie at the back of your neck. You may want to skip the necklace altogether and go for a funky pair of earrings instead. Again, because this dress has a lot going on I would choose something simple like these Mother of Pearl and Onyx Earrings:

5. For a dress with a high neck like this dress you definitely want to pair it with a funky pair of earrings. I think these Brown Wood Oval Earrings would look fabulous with it:

6. The chunky necklace dilemma. Those can often be a challenge because they make such a statement. This dress would look great with a bold piece of jewelry like the Painted Shell Necklace because the dress doen't have a lot going on and the necklace can be the main focus.

I hope this helps. You can always feel free to email me and ask my opinion. I'm here to help.

Posted in Jewelry Tips_

Vote for Sharma Designs

2006-04-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

StyleBakery.com and Girlshop.com, have joined forces again to present the second annual “On the Rise” Awards honoring the hottest independent designers and online boutiques.

Fashion fans can nominate their favorites in the following categories: Jewelry, Handbags, Accessories, Clothing, Gifts & Home, Babies & Kids and Hip Boutiques. In August, the standouts in each category will be awarded based on readers’ nominations as determined by the StyleBakery.com editors and the style mavens at Girlshop.com. Each category will also feature a “readers’ choice” winner honoring the designers who receive the largest number of votes.

You could win a $250 Gift Certificate to Girlshop.com. So please! Go vote for Sharma Designs! Thanks!

Posted in Website News_

Sharmas for a Steal

2006-04-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

Check out the Sharma Designs Specials page for beautiful jewelry at a great price. New markdowns have just been made and some jewelry is up to 50% off of original price!

Ocean Jasper Necklace
Original Price: $44
Sale Price: $22

Posted in Sales Alerts_

Finally!

2006-04-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Finally! The new jewelry is on the website! There are new necklaces, earrings and bracelets! Also, I have marked previous sale items up to 50% off. You may notice a few new things are on sale too. Out with the old!

It was a major ordeal to get those pictures up there! First, I couldn't find my tripod (Grrr Moving!) Once I found the tripod I couldn't find the quick release shoe. Worried that it was gone for good I bought a new one. Except that the new one did not fit my tripod (never trust the employees at Wolf Camera). Then, I tried taking the pictures with a new camera. (The perks of marrying a man that loves nice toys). Unfortunately I did not know how to use the camera and he doesn't know where the manual is. So I had to borrow the camera I used to use for the night. But it all paid off because they are now up! (Thanks to staying up until 2:45am!)

There are a few necklaces that say coming soon because I was just too delirious to get all the information up but they will be done tonight. I just bought a bunch of new beads to so the new jewelry should keep coming for the next few weeks.

So take a look and tell me what you think!

Posted in Website News_

Bigger and Better

2006-04-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

How happy am I? This is my new and improved bead room. Against the wall is the design table. The left side table is the shipping table. The front table is the work table. Once in my chair I can roll back and forth. See the before pictures here to see how far it's come. Now I just need to decorate it. That's the fun part though.

You have no idea how giddy this makes me. So giddy that I stayed up waaaaay to late last night working on jewelry. My plans are to have the new jewelry up next week. I am so excited about this jewelry. I want to give sneak peeks but I don't want to ruin the suprise.

Posted in Business Babble_

Interview!

2006-03-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

Check out my interview with Miss Evil Kitty!

Read the Interview Here

Posted in Celebrate_

A Little About Me

2006-03-29T15:58:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen sent this to me in an email and I thought it would be fun to answer it on my blog. For the web question she said she reads my blog everyday so she will get to see the answers here! (Hi Jen!)

*Four jobs I have had in my life:*
1. Ice Cream Scooper (yes you CAN get sick of ice cream)
2. Nanny
3. Business Specialist (I swear that was my official title. I think that it was not a coincidence that the initials were B.S - ie they couldn't think of a title for what I did)
4. Jewelry Designer

*Four movies I would watch over and over:*
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Swingers
3. Contact (yes I am a space geek)
4. Fiddler on the Roof

*Four places I have lived: *
1. Japan (I was 6 months old)
2. San Jose, CA
3. Costa Mesa, CA
4. Campbell, CA

*Four TV shows I love to watch:*
1. Project Runway
2. Law and Order (SVU is my fav)
3. The Apprentice
4. E.R

*Four places I have been on vacation:*
1. Paris
2. Maui (Yay! My Honeymoon!)
3. Alaska
4. Colorado

*Four websites I visit daily:* (Only 4?)
1. Sommer Designs blog
2. Pink is the New Blog
3. Confessions of a Beauty Addict
4. Go Fug Yourself

*Four of my favorite foods*:
1. Chips and Salsa
2. Lasagna
3. Ice Cream (I got over the being sick of it)
4. Coffee (It's like a food)

*Four places I would rather be right now:*
1. Maui
2. Shopping
3. Somewhere where it isn't raining
4. In my Bead Room

*Four things that you would buy immediately if you inherited $250K, tax free*
1. More Beads! (A no brainer)
2. A College Education for Ms Bells
3. New Clothes (Can we ever have too many?)
4. A big present for my hubby - maybe a new motorcycle

*Four Worst Habits*
1. Leaving lights on
2. Going to bed with my makeup on (I know Mei!)
3. Spending too much time on the computer
4. Staying up too late!

I would love to hear some of your answers. Either leave them in the comments or email them to me! Come on! It will be fun!

Jewelry Preview

2006-03-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

Hah! See here is proof that I have been working on jewelry:

More to come tomorrow.

Posted in Jewelry Previews_

A Few More Pictures

2006-03-29T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yes this is a distraction tactic. Right after I posted all about my great intentions of tons of jewelry every night I came down with some kind of nasty virus. Ya, I have NO voice. This has never happened to me before. It is so weird to be trying to talk and have whispers come out. How will the world hear all the wonderful and witty things I have to say? Ha ha ha

When I went in to my daughters room to get her yesterday I said "Good Morning Bella" which came out all whispered and croaky. She just looked at me like I was crazy. Oh and another fun part of the day was when someone came to pick something up from work. Now because I believe in safety, I lock the door to the office when I am the only one there. I heard someone rattling the handle so I ran outside. The man was walking away so I began to screech "Wait Wait!" and jump up and down but he just kept right on walking. I finally had to chase him to his car and scare the crap out of him by tapping on his window. Oh good times.

I did make some jewelry last night despite my current state of unwellness. I will try to get pictures today to post tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, here are a few more reception pics:

Have an opinion on the new necklaces?
	Love them!
	Cute but not for me
	What were you thinking?

What do you think of the new look?
	Change is Good!
	Keep Trying – Needs more work
	It Looks Different?

What Color Would You Like to See More of?
	Red
	Orange
	Yellow
	Pink
	Grey
	White
	Green
	Blue
	Black
	Purple
	Brown